Fantasy, pet & creative name generators

When reality doesn't inspire — imagination does

These tools do one thing: help you find the right name, whether for your business or your story.

Business names have to work in the real world; fiction names just have to fit the story. It's the first thing your customers see. The beauty of fiction is the creativity it enables; you create the plot, then think of names for it. The most challenging part is thinking of names, and that is where these tools come into play.

All 23 generators here are designed to help with names for entertainment, imagination, and even branding. So use these tools differently than the ones on the Name Generators page. For example, historical fiction set in 1920s Paris would require real French names, whereas fantasy set in a fictional kingdom would not.

Fantasy and fictional character names

More generators here cover fantasy and fictional characters than any other category. Much Fantasy fiction is of the High Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, or Paranormal Romance varieties and is highly dependent upon how believable the invented world is.

Names in a work of Fantasy are often a major part of establishing a fictional setting or world. This means that while a character named "Bob" would be completely out of place in most Fantasy worlds, a completely novel name could draw the reader into the story if it sounds as though it could occur in that particular fictional setting.

These generators for fantasy names tend to focus on specific scenarios or character types and generate names suited to those contexts rather than to other characters or stories.

So, for example, an elf's name will often have an ethereal quality and sound especially when spoken, while a villain will have a name that sounds especially evil and conveys a sense of threat even when read individually. Barbarian names are generally very primal and forceful, and would look good sewn onto the fur of a barbarian's cloak. (And note that Harry Potter names are specifically tuned to the Potterverse, rather than to "British"-style names in general. "Sounds British" is not the same as "sounds like it belongs in the Hogwarts universe").

Keep in mind there's no right or wrong here. These tools are merely sparks to help writers get into the right mindset, complete a prompt or passage, and explore other areas of a writer's creative process that inspire. These are just a few spark generators that can help writers of any genre, whether they're stuck for ideas or have too many.

Naming your pets

Other owners name their pets after their personalities, which reveal themselves after a few weeks. A big tough dog might be named "Scout" or "Chaos" by its owners. The generators on this page are weighted towards these sorts of names, which are short, cute, very memorable, and even work well for very large animals as well as for very small animals like hamsters.

This generator works because it's drawing from a pool of names that real pet owners have actually used. For pets, we look for names that are simple enough to yell out across a crowded room or park, but that also sound nice and have the right amount of personality and quirk for the individual animal. Typically, that means a single word that is familiar, yet not too common. The names here will work for any small animal, from dogs and cats to fish, snakes, and lizards.

Band names, musician names, and team names

Band, musician, team, corporation, startup, and club names can have a big impact. A band name, for instance, must be searchable, memorable, distinguishable from other bands, and look good in a Spotify playlist. If you choose a name that is too generic, it will get lost amongst the many other bands with similar names. If you choose a name that is too obscure, it will be impossible for people to remember how you spelled it. In addition, there is the big risk of an inside joke going wrong. Something that makes the drummer of a band laugh in rehearsal may be terrible in front of an audience.

For band names, I run them through the band name generator, and the output is patched together with all sorts of name ideas, both real and completely fictional. A band name generator is used to come up with names that would fit your group. The band's name helps form your online presence, so you have to choose wisely. The need to come up with band names is an additional barrier to entry for would-be musicians creating and performing music. And for named solo artists, there are additional generators for Solo Project Names. (Note that naming your band is distinct from naming yourself as a solo artist, and each has its own requirements and restrictions).

Business names and branding

Naming a startup can be simple but tedious. The challenge here is to come up with ideas for a good name — something that's easy to remember, brandable, and makes a good first impression. Unique enough that no other company owns the name, and it can be trademarked.

Also, the choice of name determines whether the desired domain names can be purchased. As a result, the business name generator was designed to generate names that are as suitable as possible for companies and, in particular, are easy to pronounce, remember, write, and add to business cards.

Writing helpers and language tools

Writing Helpers: This category includes tools that help you in your creative process. This can be in the form of writing prompts, ideas for stories and situations, or even random quotes to help get you out of a creative block. If you are trying to write something and need help with language, then these tools will be very helpful.

For example, a writer writing a story about a teenager today may use a Gen Z slang generator to get the terminology correct. There is also an acronym generator for writers of stories that include groups, organizations, or even secret plots where they need to come up with a name for it.

Just keep in mind that these tools are meant to help you brainstorm and develop ideas, not replace the actual writing.